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GF1 + 20mm pancake under fluorescent light banding

Discussion in 'Panasonic Cameras' started by stuinjapan, Mar 6, 2011.

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  1. stuinjapan

    stuinjapan New to Mu-43

    1
    Sep 24, 2010
    Hi,

    Recently I noticed that when using my GF1 with the 20mm pancake lens there is horizontal banding on the lcd. My 14-45mm has no problem so I returned the lens to Panasonic and they exchanged for a new 20mm but the banding is still there under Fluorescent lighting..I did read that this is normal and something to do with the refresh rate of the light and the lcd...is this true? My warranty runs out March 21st so if its a problem with the camera body I don't have long to fix it.

    Stu
     
    stuinjapan, Mar 6, 2011
    #1
  2. ~tc~

    ~tc~ Mu-43 Hall of Famer

    2,494
    Oct 22, 2010
    Houston, TX
    Is it in the recorded images/video or just in the live-view while you're taking the pictures?
     
    ~tc~, Mar 6, 2011
    #2
  3. Lynn

    Lynn Mu-43 Rookie

    11
    Jan 5, 2011
    Norseman, Western Australia
    Maybe this

    I recall that in previous life as a mechanical maintenance person it was unsafe to use a fluorescent light above a rotating machine, such as a grinder or lathe. It is to do with the frequency of the light source sometimes matching that of the RPM of the rotating machine, giving the illusion that it was stationary. A dangerous situation. I expect that the banding you see is this frequency and although visible on the LCD will not appear on the image.
    Lynn
     
    Lynn, Mar 8, 2011
    #3
  4. Vivalo

    Vivalo Olympus loser Subscribing Member

    1,252
    Nov 16, 2010
    I've had the same kind of banding and if it's the same reason, it is caused by the frequency of the light source and the refresh rate of the live view. The reason why it didn't show up with the kit zoom lens might be the smaller maximum aperture and that way the sensor wasn't in bad sync with that particular light source. Correct me if I am totally lost here. :confused:

    So I believe your "problem" is totally normal and you should not be worried about that. :2thumbs:
     
    Vivalo, Mar 8, 2011
    #4
  5. JDW

    JDW New to Mu-43

    9
    Apr 7, 2011
    Japan
    Lumix GF-1 Horizontal Banding

    Actually, horizontal banding occurs quite often for me on my Lumix GF-1. It exhibits itself especially bad under fluorescent lighting and when room lighting mixes with outside sunlight. I have posted photos and a video here (be sure to read the description under the photos and video for more info):

    [ame=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiZnA1RnrkM]YouTube - Lumix GF1 horizontal stripes induced by fluorescent lighting & high contrast scenes[/ame]
    Lumix GF1 Color Banding Problem with Fluorescent Lighting | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

    Changing the shutter to 1/60s is a cure, but we cannot do this in every situation, nor can my wife, who prefers to use the Full Auto mode on our GF-1.

    I cannot help but view this as a "camera defect," regardless of whether it may affect other cameras as well. Since it is so common, camera makers should do something to prevent it from happening. I feel strongly about this, since none of the cameras I've used in the past (all my Canon PowerShot series, and my miniDV Panasonic PV-GS400 video camera) have every had this kind of banding problem.
     
    JDW, Apr 7, 2011
    #5
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